It has long been advised by dentists that using an electric toothbrush is more effective for oral hygiene than using a manual toothbrush. Back in the year 2000, the Journal of the American Dental Association published a study of more than 16,000 patients, finding that 80% saw improvements to their oral hygiene after using an electric device.

Philips Sonicare Essence Electronic

You don’t need to spend a fortune on buying the right electric toothbrush; the truth is, most mid-priced devices will do a good enough job of cleaning your teeth thoroughly. The secret is in the way you brush, rather than spending money on the most high-tech device. Philips makes a range of high-quality electric toothbrushes; its Sonicare Essence Sonic Electric Rechargeable Toothbrush is a mid-range brush with a range of features, designed to make teeth-cleaning an easy task.

Gentle, vibrating motions

The toothbrush uses a vibrating motion to gently clean teeth and the bristles remain flexible enough to clean deep into gaps between the teeth. The brush head lends itself well to the approved method of tooth-brushing – to move the brush gently around each tooth and its surrounding gum area individually. The bristles are soft enough that brushing the gum area is pain-free and does not draw unnecessary amounts of blood.

Good for hard-to-reach areas

The device has an angled neck, making it easier to get to hard-to-reach areas at the back of the mouth. Furthermore, it is also a sound option for those who have braces or dental restorations such as crowns, veneers and fillings; the brush bristles are made from a soft enough fabric so as not to irritate or cause damage.

Two-minute timer

Philips Sonicare Essence Electronic

One of the main pros of this device – aside from its main function as a brushing device – is its timer. Dentists often recommend that an effective cleaning routine should last approximately two minutes. Provided you are using a good enough brushing technique, this is very much true and should be adhered to as a general guideline. The Philips Essence device comes equipped with a two-minute timer that will vibrate the brush when the time has been reached. To help people brush each area of their mouths for an equal amount of time, the brush also comes equipped with an interval timer. This will vibrate at each 30-second interval to indicate to the user that it is time to move to a different area.

Increasing power for beginners

Another, more advanced, feature of the brush – which is ideal for those new to electric oral hygiene – is that it can gently increase its power over the first 14 uses. This is an effective way to ease into electronic toothbrush usage and a way of protecting against excessive gum bleeding during your brushing regime.

In terms of cons of the device, the main pointer to bear in mind is that there are faster brushing speeds available on the market. Although there doesn’t appear to be any research to suggest that faster brushing speeds lead to cleaner teeth, some people prefer the sensation of a quick brush head and argue that they achieve cleaner teeth in a shorter amount of time.

In summary, this is an adequate brush to ensure good dental hygiene, providing fast brushing speeds along with a range of modern features to aid tooth-brushing routines.